Vasseur: Ferrari support aimed at 'third party' amid Horner chatter

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has shed light on the timing and intent behind chairman John Elkann’s public show of support last weekend, confirming it was directed at meddling “third parties” amid recent speculation linking former Red Bull team boss Christian Horner to Maranello.

Elkann issued a firm statement ahead of the United States Grand Prix declaring “full confidence” in Vasseur “and in the work he is carrying out,” putting to rest stories that the Scuderia was seeking a leadership shake-up.

Those rumours had pointed toward Horner as a potential replacement for Vasseur, despite the Frenchman signing a contract extension with Ferrari in July.

Setting the Record Straight

In Austin, after Ferrari bagged a solid double top-four finish in Austin, Vasseur explained the meaning behind Elkann’s public backing – and who it was really meant for.

For everybody it's good to have this kind of message,” said Vasseur. “But as we have a permanent contact, we already had the message, that was more for the third party and external target.”

When asked if the statement was crucial for him personally, the Frenchman was clear.

“Yes, it's important because like this you stop the discussion and you are focused on the next one and not to reply to all the questions about this.”

The comments effectively ended the Horner-to-Ferrari chatter, reinforcing that the team’s leadership remains firmly in place as it looks to finish the 2025 season strongly.

Leclerc praises focus amid “unfounded noise”

Vasseur’s tenure has endured heavy scrutiny from Italian media following Ferrari’s disappointing results during its 2025 campaign. While the Scuderia has yet to score a victory this year and trails McLaren by over 300 points, signs of stability are emerging.

Charles Leclerc’s gritty podium in Austin was one of them. The Monegasque, who has also been the subject of speculation regarding his long-term future, praised the team’s ability to deliver under pressure.

“I think to demonstrate that in those kinds of situations we can stay focused on the job and be rewarded with a podium is a really nice feeling,” Leclerc said.

“I’m very happy. I’m very happy because obviously we had the gearbox problem in FP1, which cost us a little bit of laps, which then meant we were a little bit on the back foot, trying to recover in the Sprint Qualifying and Sprint Race. And then in qualifying we did some fine tuning, we found a lot more performance.

“And today was a really good race for us. So it’s a good thing, especially considering the whole situation. The second part of the season hasn’t been easy. There is completely unfounded noise and rumours around the team.

“And I think to demonstrate that in those kinds of situations we can stay focused on the job and be rewarded with a podium is a really nice feeling.”

Read also:

• Vasseur hails Hamilton’s Austin performance: ‘Lewis is back!’

Elkann’s statement and Vasseur’s follow-up have done more than silence rumours – they’ve drawn a firm line under Ferrari’s current leadership direction.

The message from Maranello is simple: the team is united, the outside noise is irrelevant, and focus has shifted firmly toward closing out 2025 on a high and building for the regulation reset of 2026.

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